Thoughts on Tai Chi

I was curious if any of you all have practiced Tai Chi, and your thoughts on it.

I know it's not a self defense style (at least, not the way it's taught in the states). But there's a lot of things from it I think that could compliment a harder martial arts style. Let me know your thoughts.

adamm[]

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:34 pm

i thought tai chi was slow movements and had to do with focus.

the more focused/calm you are, the slower things seem to be, which in turns increases your reaction time. this is why when your a child things seemed to be different from when your an adult, because you didnt have all those problems floating around your head, like rent, losing your job, your GF cheating on you or w/e problems you have that you cant seem to get out of your head.

i play video games and when im nervous, i cant focus and i miss shoot and things appear to move faster than they really are. when im calm after a run or something and play, i seem to do better because my body is calmer and is less jittery. Soo... if tai chi puts you into a calm state of mind it makes you better all around. Also, your body and mind operate at a certain "speed", so if you practice slower speeds, your tuning your body to a slower speed, something like that.

Archimedes

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:57 pm

Tai Chi is actually a powerful martial art, my kung fu master knew it and he was terrifying it. You practice it slow for health benefits, but it has a lot of locking moves that are impossible to get out of.

adamm[]

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:02 pm

speak, owl boy. what are the benefits of tai chi ?? what is the secret of slowness?? ill trade you this tasty field mouse for your secrets..

Rook

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:36 pm

There is actually a neural reason for practicing things very slowly. Synaptic connections are made much more precisely in this case. My fencing coach was big on this as well....he insisted that I practice moves extremely quickly, or extremely slowly. His preference was for slow.

Moving outside of my sphere for a bit (I practice Tai Chi, but I am not an exercise expert), moving muscles very slowly places a different kind of stress on the muscles. Thing of lifting a weight over your head quickly, and then think of doing it slowly....it's kind of like that.

My Tai Chi instructors include practical applications to the movements. As such, it can be an effective self-defense technique, but it seems to me that you'd need to be particularly versed in it to utilize it effectively. I find my more direct techniques in ArcRyu to be preferable at the moment, but look forward to proficiency in Tai Chi.

-Rook

Flora V. Arbor

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 12:27 am

Tai Chi was invented as all-defense self-defense by a monk who had a dream.

As usual, America only focuses on what it wants to.

Slow and perfect leads to fast and perfect.

Fast and sloppy stays sloppy.

Tai Chi is 100% martial art and a ruthless version

Archimedes

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:13 am

I practice the basics of it daily to train my muscle memory to be ready to grapple and lock before striking. Tai Chi is literally "ultimate fist" if I remember the translation right

Stephen Hannaway

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 3:46 am

adamm[] wrote:

speak, owl boy. what are the benefits of tai chi ?? what is the secret of slowness?? ill trade you this tasty field mouse for your secrets..

Hahahahaha...

Was running a grift that required me to take a couple of classes in it. Can't say it struck me as particularly powerful but then again, I wasn't giving it much due attention...

Just seemed to lack the impact of other arts, both literally and figuratively I've trained in karate and one thing i enjoyed was the sparring and impact training. I mean i was shit! but I could see how T was more prepared for a real world fight, I don't see how tai chi gives you that same result, technique aside

Tai Chi's effectiveness wouldn't be immediately apparent. Slow movements with an imaginary opponent don't necessarily "translate" into impact in the western mind. Howerver, once someone shows the applications and you develop a bit of proficiency in the forms, it becomes more clear.

-Rook

Flora V. Arbor

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:03 pm

Tai Chi is ALL DEFENSE...NO strikiness

It's like trying to hit water.

At defense time, the moves are NOT done slowly

I was married to a man who could not get enough Tai Chi and had devoted LOADs of time to a teacher who took a LONG spell in China to learn every detail.

Rook

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:08 pm

I dunno...ward off, and single whip, for example can both be utilized as pretty effective strikes.

Flora V. Arbor

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:30 pm

"... can be used as..." is different than, "...written as..."

Rook

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:50 pm

"Written as" is useful if learning Tai Chi from a book.

Flora V. Arbor

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:08 pm

1. Tai Chi was invented

2. Tai Chi was practiced

3. Tai Chi was shared

4. Tai Chi extrapolated for usefulness in separated details

No amount of wishes or typing will change this order

Rook

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:29 pm

And all of the non sequitors in the world changes the fact that Tai Chi can be used as a striking art. As I wasn't there when it was invented, I cannot tell you whether it was originally intended as such. Perhaps you know someone who was?

-Rook

Rook

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:44 pm

Rook wrote:

And all of the non sequitors in the world changes the fact that Tai Chi can be used as a striking art. As I wasn't there when it was invented, I cannot tell you whether it was originally intended as such. Perhaps you know someone who was?

-Rook

Geeesh...I meant "does not change." Not one word about Freudian slips!

-Rook

Flora V. Arbor

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:08 pm

Using it for striking is, certainly, possible but implying that it was written that way is just silly.

The thing is, Tai Chi seeks to mutilate the arm that strikes. So, rolling with it's ruthlessness tends to be a very interesting path

Rook

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:20 am

Flora V. Arbor wrote:

Using it for striking is, certainly, possible but implying that it was written that way is just silly.

The thing is, Tai Chi seeks to mutilate the arm that strikes. So, rolling with it's ruthlessness tends to be a very interesting path

Ah, I see where you're going with this now. I don't disagree. I missed the implication that it was "written" as a striking art. If made such, it was unintended.

-Rook

Flora V. Arbor

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Subject: Re: Thoughts on Tai Chi Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:53 am

I was happy to have had a solid MA understanding before i was introduced to this concept.

The monks who started Tai Chi were non-violent and sought to not strike ( and not get struck )